Tag Archives: science

May15

Science Naturally: A Schoolhouse Crew Review

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Science Naturally: A Schoolhouse Crew Review

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Sacha’s<25: A unique one minute mystery book recommended for ages 8-12 which has the reader use their science knowledge and critical thinking skills to solve the 65 mysteries.

Home in the Trenches Product Rating (out of 10 stars)

Is it worth our time? 9 stars
Did it help us learn? 9 stars
Is it worth the money? 9 stars
Is it useful to me? 9 stars
Practicality-10  stars
Quality- 9 stars
Kid Rating- 10 stars

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We received One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! from Science Naturally to review.  I was super excited to get to review this since I loved listening to short mystery stories as a kid and trying to figure them out!  I was expecting that these would be the “who dunnit” type stories that I had heard as a kid.  I don’t know if you are familiar with those kind but these were not that.  However, they are really great too!

Here is an explanation from their website:

These mysteries have a clever twist—you have to be a super sleuth, tapping into your science wisdom and critical thinking skills to solve them. Each story takes just one minute to read and challenges your knowledge in a variety of science disciplines.

I handed this book over to my kids to take a look at.  I had to laugh because when I went searching for the book about a week later my 13 year old son had taken it to read.  He was choosing to read these minute mysteries at night before going to bed instead of some of the other stuff he had been reading.  When I asked my kids if they liked it the response I got was, “Matthew wouldn’t let us have a turn with the book!”  

Click here to read 3 sample stories and see why my kids didn’t want to share the book.

When Joy (11) finally got a chance to read the book she really enjoyed it.  She felt she wasn’t very good at solving the mysteries but she loved reading them.

These one page mysteries with the answer solution following on the backside of each page are written by the father daughter team of Eric and Natalie Yoder.  This book is the second Science Mystery book they have written and they have also written some One Minute Math Mysteries.

What I liked:

  • Educational aspect…they are learning scientific principles while having fun reading and solving mysteries.
  • The stories are short and don’t take a lot of time to read.
  • These would be great to read out loud and discuss with your kids…one story each day…good luck at keeping it to just one story : )
  • These are real life type mysteries which are solved by applying science…how would bugs end up inside a closed bag of apples, how to tell raw from boiled eggs, why some mornings are so much cooler than others, etc.

What I didn’t like:

  • Nothing to say here…we were really happy with this product!

To sum it up: This book and the others that this father daughter team have written would be just perfect for incorporating learning into your summer, without your kids even realizing it!  This is a really fun book to read with your kids or to have them read by themselves.  Highly recommended and check out below for a special offer on purchasing some of their other books as well!

 

The important information:

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One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve With Science!

Eric Yoder and Natalie Yoder, January 2013
Ages 8-12, 8.5” x 5.5”, 180 pages,
Paperback ISBN 10: 1-9384920-0-5
E-Book ISBN 10: 1-9384920-1-3

Order from: Science Naturally

Price: $9.95

Please note this special coupon code—enter 3SPEC to purchase any 3 books on the website for $19.95 plus $2.95 shipping. (a $12.90 savings)

Click to read more reviews from the Schoolhouse Review Crew.

 

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Feb8

Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day: A Schoolhouse Crew Review

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Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day: A Schoolhouse Crew Review

Sacha’s<25: A wonderful science curriculum focusing on the study of Land Animals which uses a variety of methods to instill information and the joy of learning.

Home in the Trenches Product Rating (out of 10 stars)

Is it worth our time?  10 stars
Did it help us learn? 10 stars
Is it worth the money? 10 stars
Is it useful to me? 10 stars
Practicality- 10 stars
Quality- 10 stars
Kid Rating- 10 stars

We received Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day Textbook and Regular Notebooking Journal for review from  Apologia Educational Ministries.  These products come from their Young Explorers Series for elementary grade students suggested for K-6th grade use. This third book in the zoology series takes students on a safari through jungles, deserts, forests, farms, and even their own backyard to explore, examine and enjoy the enchanting creatures God designed to inhabit the terrain.

The Notebooking Journal includes a variety of activities including full-color mini-books, additional fun experiments, crosswords, and supplementary materials, such as animal stickers for the Map It activities.  We have found that these notebooking journals really add an extra layer of learning and retention to the textbooks.  We have used these notebooking journals in the past for other Apologia science books and the kids have loved them. There is such a wide variety of activities to really hold their attention and keep them from getting bored doing the same thing over and over.

These journals also include a suggested schedule to help you know what to do when.  We found the schedule to be helpful in knowing what to accomplish on a weekly/bi-weekly schedule.  However, all the reading and work was divided over 2 days each week.  We found that to be a lot of work at times.  We liked to know what to get done in a week but we usually spread it out over 3-4 days during the week.  You could probably do it over 2 with upper elementary students but my kindergartener found it really hard to still and focus for that long in just 2 sessions.

Above Andrew working on a mini book.  We tended to do most of our science reading and journal work on our couch or floor in the family room.  The day this picture was taken my 2 little girls had built a huge fort in the room…which is why you see the white sheet behind him!

The regular notebooking journal is suggested for students who are able to write, take notes and are upper elementary level.  The Junior version of the journal includes age appropriate activities for your child including coloring pages, easy and fun science experiments, full-color mini-books, easier vocabulary exercises, and supplementary materials, such as animal stickers for the Map It activities.

We would usually read the textbook 2-4 times a week.  It’s great that we can be that flexible with it!  I would read until I felt the kids were getting a bit antsy or end when there seemed to be a good place to stop.  Most of the time my kindergartener would beg that I just read a little bit more…”one more section, please?”  We would plan to have the chapter done during the 2 week period.

After we read a bit in the book my 3rd grader would do some work in the notebooking journal.  I chose the upper elementary level for him.  He is a really good writer and has the attention span for some of the harder activities and note taking that is involved in this journal.  He used the early elementary one last year when we did Apologia’s Human Anatomy book.  (Can you tell we love Apologia’s science curriculum?  Well in case you can’t…let me tell you that we have done Botany, Astronomy, Human Anatomy and now are working through Zoology 3!)  We highly recommend them to everyone we meet!

This science curriculum might be different than what you are used to!  Apologia really gives parents and their children time to bond.  Sit on the couch and spend time cuddling and reading.  Once you are done there are suggested questions in the text to have your children narrate back to you about what you just read together.  Once you do that you can work together on some of the notebooking journal activities or you might just send them off to see what they can do by themselves in the journal.  I think it is a great way to build some independence in your student once they are upper elementary age.

We were easily able to cover a chapter every 2 weeks.  I have to share one of the cutest/most memorable things that happened while we were learning about bears. Faith (6) was over at a friend’s house and she narrated a story to a 12 year old who wrote it all down for her.  Then Faith illustrated the book.  In the middle of the story there is a portion about bears.  We had just read this information earlier in the week about what to do and not do when you find a bear and what might happen if you feed it.  I thought it was so cute that it ended up in her story!  Here’s a photo of the page from her story:

What I liked:

  • It is written in a conversational style…very interesting to read.
  • It is super flexible in how you use it and how much you cover in a given sitting.
  • We have been able to use this curriculum with multiple ages.  My 3 year old loves to sit in and listen with my kindergartener and 3rd grader.  In fact, my 6th and 7th graders listen in every time as well!
  • We really like the notebooking journals and highly suggest you purchase one for each of your children using the curriculum.  We have done other books in the series without the journals (simply because they didn’t exist at the time).  We really prefer doing the journals with the textbooks!!!!!
  • This curriculum uses different ways to learn and covers more than just “science”.  The Map-It portion really helps to cover basic geography.

What I didn’t like:

  • I really can’t think of anything.  I guess it might bother some that it is scheduled out for 24 weeks.  This seems to be a weird amount of time since most of us do 36 week school years.  Hard to complete another full book in the series in another 12 weeks.
  • I would have liked the Notebooking Journal to come with a wall map for the Map-It portion.  I wasn’t sure how big of a map I would need to get to put the animal stickers in the right places.

To sum it up: If you are looking for a curriculum that spends 24 weeks looking in depth at Land Animals (or another topic Apologia covers) this is a wonderful curriculum.  You will get lots of cuddle time and great learning with your children.  We HIGHLY recommend this to you!  Head on over the Apologia’s Website to look at samples of this curriculum!

 

The important information:

Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day

Price: 

Textbook–$39.00
Regular Notebooking Journal–$24.00
Junior Notebooking Journal–$24.00

Order from: Apologia Educational Ministries

 

To read other Schoolhouse Crew reviews of this product click here. 

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Disclosure/Disclaimer:  I received the above product free of charge through the Schoolhouse REview Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Jun8

Discovery Scope: A Schoolhouse Crew Review

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Discovery Scope: A Schoolhouse Crew Review

Discovery Scope: A Schoolhouse Crew Review

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Sacha’s<25:  Discovery Scope is a handheld, wide-field microscope with special features for viewing a hidden world of living things. Great for all ages!

Home in the Trenches Product Rating (out of 10 stars)

Is it worth our time?  10 stars
Did it help us learn?  10 stars
Is it worth the money?  8 stars
Is it useful to me?  10 stars
Practicality-  10 stars
Quality-  10 stars
Kid Rating-  10 stars

From the Discovery Scope Website:

Discovery Scope is an inexpensive, exceptionally durable viewing system for exploring small things. Its 1 inch focal length lens produces beautiful wide field, high resolution views of insects, worms, tiny plants and flowers as well as rocks, sand samples, and crystals. Special chambers and holders are provided for viewing both terrestrial and aquatic organisms.

Kids love exploring with discovery scope, but so do adults, It is hand-held, uses available light…the perfect tool for classrooms and field trips.

After many years of teaching, the late Jim Harvey, Sr. and his teaching partner Bruce Russell knew there had to be a better alternative to the classic microscope. They wanted to be able to look at things that you don’t have to put on a slide, but instead could view in its somewhat real environment. One of the greatest attributes of the scope is being able to reintroduce the organism back to nature. You don’t have to be a biologist or geologist to begin to have fun with the scope.

Our Experience:

We were beyond thrilled to find out that we were chosen to review this item.  Discovery Scope sent out the Discovery Scope basic kit.  I told my kids that we couldn’t open the box until they had finished some other things.  Boy were they motivated.  It wasn’t long before they were done with their work so they could get the Discovery Scope out. It came mailed in a cardboard box and everything within was packed into a “Ziplock” plastic container.  What a great way to store it!  It came with everything we needed to get started and it was simple to figure out how to use. Below are two different views of the scope. The focus tube slides in and out of the body to put the specimen in focus.  You clamp the specimen to the clamp tool.  There are other attachments for this piece including a clear box, 2 small bags and a quick slide.  We loved the clear box.  The kids put a huge beetle in the box and could twist it around and see all different angles of it.  Best thing was that he was alive!  They were able to release him back into nature when they were done!  They were able to put pond water into a small ziplock bag (which was included) and see all the cool things in it!  

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Once we got the hang of it and saw all the cool things we could look at with it we decided to try to use my iPhone to take pictures of what we saw.  It takes a little bit of doing but with 4-5 hands we were able to do it!

Joy’s (10) Experience:

“I loved using this microscope!  It magnifies things so well, so well that you can easily see the tiniest details!  Some of the things I magnified were: A beetle, a piece of grass, the top of an acorn, and a flower.  It is so cool seeing nature up close.”

Matthew’s (12) Experience:

“I liked it because it is an easy way to look into God’s nature.  Also, I was able to look at lots of awesome stuff like a stag beetle, dandelions, and pond water.  I think it is a cool idea how they made it…the design is great!”

Andrew’s (8) Experience:

“I really liked looking at sticks with it.  It was really easy to use.”

Faith’s (5) Experience:

“My brother basically hogged it a lot, but once he let me use it I really liked it.  I hope I get more time with it when my brother is busy with school!”

 

What I liked:

  • Ease of use.  Within just a couple minutes we were out in the yard looking at things with it!
  • Super sturdy and child friendly.
  • Portable.  This has gone over to a few different friends’ houses to “play” with!
  • All ages were able to enjoy using it.
  • Easy to pass around and enjoy what someone else has found and seen up close!

What I didn’t like:

  • It was hard to get my kids to do other things while they are using it!  They have really enjoyed seeing God’s creation more up close!

To sum it up: The coolest, easy to use, microscope which allows children as young as 3 to view even live organisms and return them to nature.-MUST HAVE!

 

The important information:

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Order from: Discovery Scope- http://www.discoveryscope.com/

Price: $40+shipping. ****Please note they are adding a cheaper shipping rate–please call and ask for the priority shipping rate if you do not see it on their website yet.

To read other Schoolhouse Crew reviews of this product click here.

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Disclosure/Disclaimer:  I received the above product free of charge for review purposes.  I am only expected to give an honest review.

May25

Dive into Your Imagination DVD and Educator Guide: A TOS Review

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Dive into Your Imagination DVD and Educator Guide: A TOS Review

Dive into Your Imagination DVD and Educator Guide: A TOS Review

PhotobucketSacha’s<25: An amazing 44 minute narrated DVD and educator guide which takes you to the depths of the ocean to explore all of the diverse sea life.

Home in the Trenches Product Rating (out of 10 stars)

Is it worth our time?  10 stars
Did it help us learn?  10 stars
Is it worth the money?  10 stars (for the DVD)
Is it useful to me? 10 stars
Practicality-  10 stars
Quality-  10 stars
Kid Rating-  10 stars

 From Annie Crawley’s Website:

Dive Into Diversity teaches children about all the variety of life under the sea and how animals rely upon one another for survival. Take a ride to a depth of 1500 feet in the deep sea with a submarine pilot! Find out what happens on the reef at NIGHT. Learn what eating ice cream and brushing your teeth have in common. Why do crabs have claws? What can grow three feet in just one day? You and your children will be entertained while learning about the sea just like the first two DVD’s in the series, “What Makes A Fish, A Fish?” and “Who Lives In The Sea?”

Now educators can use this revolutionary program combining ocean literacy standards with science, math, literacy, social studies, art, character education while adding a special behavior component in which students use imagination play to become scuba divers, scientists, submarine pilots, explorers, and so much more. The Dive Into Your Imagination Educator Guides combined with the award winning DVDS, and soon to be released books and ibooks will engage your students while they read, watch, listen, collaborate, and do.

Who Lives in the Sea Educator Guides are available in two age-group versions. Each educator guide covers eight chapters with 6-7 activity station per chapter aligned with common core and next generation standards. As your students explore amazing vertebrate and invertebrate animals in kelp forests, on night dives, in the deep sea, and on coral reefs, they will learn literacy, science, math, geography and more. There are more than 150 extension ideas to keep your imagination flowing!

About Annie Crawley:

Originally from Chicago and trained as a photo and broadcast journalist, Annie Crawley spent the past two decades living and working around the world.  After learning to scuba dive and sail, she became a PADI Master Scuba Diving Instructor and a 100 ton US Coast Guard Boat Captain.  She was named an SSI 5000 Platinum Pro Diver and inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame in 2010.  Annie Crawley specializes in the Underwater Realm as an underwater photographer, filmmaker, field biologist and expert.  As a producer, Annie Crawley created an award winning series of children’s ocean books, DVDs and lesson plans after being awarded four grants from the Save Our Seas Foundation.  She was also responsible for single-handedly producing, shooting, and editing a series of programs taken on the SEAPLEX expedition with Project Kaisei in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Because of her success following her dreams, Annie Crawley relates the lessons she learned growing up and traveling in a way that will inspire any audience to go beyond what they believe they are capable. While creating a successful business, Dive Into Your Imagination, Annie Crawley, aka Ocean Annie, continues to travel and document the world focusing on life in our Ocean.  She is uniquely qualified to speak about obtaining success by taking risks, living your dreams and creating your greatest life.

Our Experience:

We were given the Dive into Diversity DVD and educator guide to review.  WOW!  WE loved the DVD.  Packed with amazing video of underwater life that drew our whole family into watching it!  This is a must have product (whether or not you homeschool)!  Don’t wait until you might be studying sea life to get this!

The narration on the DVD is soothing, not overly scientific, and leaves you with a character message at the same time.  It really is just a joy to watch! I was amazed at all of what God has created that we can’t even see on a day to day basis!  While this is not produced with a Christian message I didn’t find anything regarding evolution etc.  The last line on the DVD is “So let’s dive into the ocean of our imagination and learn to accept one another, no matter what our color, or our style.  Just like the animals of the sea, we all need to respect one another, and our diversity.”

I spent a lot of time reading through the educator guides for this DVD.  They are divided PreK-K and Grades 1-3.  I mainly looked at the PreK-K guide.  While we didn’t have time to do any of the activities yet I have a few picked out to do over the summer with the girls and I am sure the older ones will want to join in as well.  Who wouldn’t want to paint with glow in the dark paint?

Here is a sample video segment from one of her DVDs:

 

What I liked:

  • Amazing photography/videography on the DVD.
  • I turned it on for my 3 and 5 year olds to watch and the whole family ended up watching the DVD…and even asking to play segments over and over.
  • The educator guides were written for a school classroom setting….they are the most complete guides I have ever seen.  Loaded with questions to ask your students before you study the DVD segments, vocabulary, book suggestions, coloring pages, games, and activities to incorporate what they learned on the DVD and so much more.  These will definitely impart a love of the ocean and everything that lives in it to your students!

What I didn’t like:

  • The educator guides are written for a school setting….not a big deal but wanted you to know.  They are amazing and it isn’t hard to adapt for a homeschool setting.

To sum it up: Wow, the DVD was amazing and should be in every family’s DVD collection.  And right now Annie Crawley is offering the Educator Guide  FREE with the purchase of the corresponding DVD!  This is so kind of her.  They are retailing for $69.95. See below for information on how to take advantage of this great offer.

 

The important information:

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Dive into Your Imagination DVD’s and Educator Guides

Order from: http://www.diveintoyourimagination.com/

Price: free shipping for May and June-mention my review with TOS Homeschool Crew

Dive into Diversity DVD-$19.95

PDF of Educator Guide-$69.95

The guides are available as a printed version for $299 (for the whole set of them) or as individual PDFs for $69.95. As a special for the Homeschool Crew and The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and followers Annie Crawley of Dive Into Your Imagination, she will gift you a set of PDFs with purchase of the DVDs. When you place your DVD order, just let her know in the notes that you are a Homeschool Parent!

To read other TOS Crew reviews of this product click here.

 

Disclosure/Disclaimer:  I received the above product free of charge for review purposes.  I am only expected to give an honest review.


May11

Go Science from Library and Educational Services: A TOS Review

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Go Science from Library and Educational Services: A TOS Review

Go Science from Library and Educational Services: A TOS Review

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Sacha’s<25: These DVD’s (6 in the series) demonstrate many different science principles in a kid friendly way from a Christian perspective.

Home in the Trenches Product Rating (out of 10 stars)

Is it worth our time? 6  stars
Did it help us learn? 6 stars
Is it worth the money? 5 stars
Is it useful to me? 5 stars
Practicality-  6 stars
Quality- 6 stars
Kid Rating- 5  stars

We recieved 2 videos for review. We chose “Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering Design” as well as “Chemistry, States of Matter and Life Sciences” from a set of 6 DVDs titled GO Science! from Library and Educational Services.  If you aren’t familiar with Library and Educational Services you simply must go and check out the website.  They offer incredible prices all on all kinds of items which homeschoolers can use everyday.  I have purchased books and audios from them in the past. They describe themselves as:

A Wholesale Supplier of Wholesome, Educational Books, DVDs, CDs, and more
For over thirty years, LES has been committed to excellence in both our customer service and our product selection. 
With our variety of Christian, wholesome, and educational DVDs, CDs, books, games, and more—PLUS our personal, superior customer service, we are confident that you will return to LES again and again!
(No frustrating automated answering system when you call—just our friendly, helpful staff waiting to answer your questions!)

Before I go into the items we were given to review I must mention that the Your Story Hour CD’s are excellent and that they have the best price around.  We own 3 volumes of the Bible stories but they also have ones on historical figures.  These are dramatized audio stories which we just love to listen to in the car.

Sorry for the digression, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn’t tell you about them!

Back to the GO Science videos:

Even kids who claim an aversion to science will be engaged by the high-energy science demonstrations of Ben Roy! Ben teaches science methods at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is the former director of a science program on television. With this expertise, Ben captivates, motivates, and inspires students to be excited about science, while providing effective instruction based on science phenomena. Each spectacular demonstration of physical or chemical science has a spiritual application and points to our Creator!

There are 6 titles in this series:
Volume 1-Motion and the Laws of Gravity
Volume 2-Simple Machines, Sound, Weather
Volume 3-Magnetism, Electricity, Engineering, and Design
Volume 4-Chemistry, States of Matter, Life Sciences
Volume 5-Air, Flight
Volume 6-Water, Space, Solar System
Volume 3 includes demonstrations on:
  • Monster Magnets
  • A/C Electromagnet
  • D/C Ellecromagnet
  • Making a Compass
  • Static Electricity
  • Light Bulb
  • Jacob’s Ladder
  • Conductivity
  • Solar Energy
  • Tesla Coil
  • Color
  • Cut Paper Halves
  • Heat Engine
  • Plastic Pre Forms

Each demonstration ranges in time from 3 to 6 minutes.

Here’s a sample of one of the demonstrations from Volume 3:

Volume 4 includes these demonstrations:

  • Chemical Luminecence
  • Exploding Bottle
  • Exploding Balloons
  • Flash Paper
  • pH
  • Root Beer Float
  • Liquid Nitrogen
  • Single Cell
  • Optical Illusion
  • Lycopodium Powder
  • Camouflage

What I liked:

  • They come from a Christian perspective.

What I didn’t like:

  • They seem a little “homemade.”  The video segments were originally made for Christian TV, and they seem a little, well… “repackaged”. Unfortunately, the sound levels change from one experiment to the other. Also, every segment starts out the same way because they were never meant to be watched back to back….originally airing on different shows.
  • I must mention it….My husband said these videos reminded him of Barney!  Ben Roy is really happy and excited about teaching science but it is a bit over the top.  It didn’t bother my 3 and 5 year olds, but my 8, 10 and 12 year olds thought he seemed a bit “cheesy”.
  • The explanations did not seem very in depth (nor the tie ins to God).  I would really recommend these for a 6-8 year old.  My 12 year old was explaining what was happening and why before Ben Roy got to some of the explanations!
  • These aren’t necessarily experiments you can do at home.  It just depends which demonstration you are watching.

To sum it up: Looking for a way to reinforce or introduce a specific topic of science to your kids, this might be a good way to do it.

 

The important information:

GO Science! DVDs from Library and Educational Services

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Author: Ben Roy
Format: DVD
Publisher: Go Science LLC
Series: Go Science
Copyright: 2006
For Ages: 6 to 14

 

Order from: Library and Educational Services

Price: List Price $79.95 for all 6 DVDs Your Price:  $47.95 

Individual DVDs—List Price $14.95 Your Price:  $8.97

To read other TOS Crew reviews of this product click here.

 

Disclosure/Disclaimer:  I received the above product free of charge for review purposes.  I am only expected to give an honest review.